Chief; leading; highest in rank or degree; most important or considerable; primary; original; the source of authority or right In the law relating to real and personal property, "principal" is used as the correlative of "accessory," and denotes the more important or valuable subject, with which others are connected in
More... Chief; leading; highest in rank or degree; most important or considerable; primary; original; the source of authority or right In the law relating to real and personal property, "principal" is used as the correlative of "accessory," and denotes the more important or valuable subject, with which others are connected in a relation of dependence or subservience, or to which they, are incident or appurtenant. In criminal law. A chief actor or perpetrator, as distinguished from an "accessary." A principal in the flrst degree is he that is the actor or absolute perpetrator of the crime; and, in the second degree, he who is present, aiding and abetting the fact to be done. 4 Bl. Comm. 34. And see Bean v. State, 17 Tex. App. 60; Mitchell v. Com., 33 Grat (VaO 868; Cooney v. Burke, 11 Neb. 258, 9 N. W. 57; Red v. State, 39 Tex. Cr. R. 667, 47 S. W. 1003, 73 Am. St Rep. 965; State v. Phillips, 24 Mo. 481; Travis v. Com.. 90 Ky. 77, 27 S. W. 863. All persons concerned in the commission of crime, whether it be felony or misdemeanor, and whether they directly commit the act constituting the offense, or aid and abet in its commission, though not present are principals. Pen. Code Dak. f 27. A criminal offender is either a principal or an accessary. A principal is either the actor (i. the actual perpetrator of the crime) or else is present aiding and abetting the fact to be done; an accessary is he who is not the chief actor in the offense, nor yet present at its performance, but is some way concerned therein, either before or after the fact committed. 1 Hale, P. C. 613" 618. In the law of guaranty and suretyship. The principal is the person primarily liable, and for whose performance of his obligation the guarantor or surety has become bound. In the law of agency. The employer or constitutor of an agent; the person who gives authority to an agent or attorney to do some act for him. Adams v. Whittlesey, 3 Conn. 567. One, who, being competent sui juris to do any act for his own benefit or on his own account, confides it to another person to do for him. 1 Domat b. 1, tit 15. The term also denotes the capital sum of a debt or obligation, as distinguished from interest or other additions to it Christian v. Superior Court, 122 Cal. 117, 54 Pac. 518. An heir-loom, mortuary, or corse-present Wharton. -Vice prineipaL In the law of master and servant this term means one to whom the employer has confided the entire charge of the business or of a distinct branch of it, giving him authority to superintend, direct and control the workmen and make them obey his orders, the master himself exercising no particular oversight and giving no particular orders, or one to whom the master has delegated a duty of his own, which is a direct personal, and absolute obligation. See Durkin v. Kingston Coal Co., 171 Pa. 193, 33 Atl. 237, 29 L. R. A. 806, 50 Am. St Rep. 801; Moore v. Railway Co., 85 Mo. 588; Railroad Co. v. Bell, 112 Pa. 400, 4 AtL 50; Lewis v. Seifert, 116 Pa. 628, 11 Atl. 514, 2 Am. St. Rep. 631; Minneapolis v. Lundin, 58 Fed. 525, 7 C. C. A. 344; Lindvall v. Woods (C. C.) 44 Fed. 855; Perras v. Booth, 82 Minn. 191, 84 N. W. 739 ; Van Dusen v. Letellier, 78 Mich. 492, 44 N. W. 572; Hanna v. Granger, 18 R. I. 507, 28 Atl. 659. As to principal "Challenge," "Contract," "Fact," "Obligation," and "Office," see those titles.
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